Silver Lake Village
A mixed-use development with retail, housing, dining, services, and public amenities in St. Anthony, Minnesota.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Silver Lake Village is a mixed-use development in St. Anthony, Minnesota, United States. It combines shopping, restaurants, housing, professional services, transportation access, and public open space in a layout intended to function more like a walkable neighborhood than a traditional enclosed mall. The development occupies the former site of Apache Plaza, an early enclosed shopping center whose decline and demolition shaped the area’s redevelopment. Planning and construction began in 2004 under a reported $150 million redevelopment concept. The project replaced Apache Plaza with a combination of apartment buildings, condominiums, cottage-style residences, commercial strips, freestanding stores, restaurants, and civic-oriented amenities. Its name refers to Silver Lake, immediately north of the development, and to St. Anthony’s historical nickname, “St. Anthony Village.” The site lies along Silver Lake Road, north of 37th Avenue Northeast, and is served by Metro Transit routes 4, 25, and 801. Retail is centered on a Cub Foods supermarket at the northern end of the complex. Other commercial occupants and uses identified in reference material include GameStop, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Caribou Coffee, Leeann Chin, Cold Stone Creamery, a gas station, bank branches, medical offices, health clinics, salons, a Verizon Wireless retailer, and the City of St. Anthony’s municipal liquor store. The exact tenant mix can change over time, so these businesses are best understood as documented occupants rather than a guaranteed current directory. The development also includes dining and leisure uses. Restaurants and food-service businesses have included Chipotle, Leeann Chin, Caribou Coffee, and the adjacent Culver’s. Steele & Hops opened in 2022 with a menu combining contemporary and classic dishes and a heated outdoor patio. Salo Park, named for St. Anthony’s sister city of Salo, Finland, occupies part of the eastern edge of the development. Its amphitheater hosts summer concerts, while nearby walking paths and a small pond provide recreational and community space. Housing has been an important part of the project’s identity. Silver Lake Village includes apartments, condominiums, and cottage-style homes. Most residential construction dates from the post-2004 redevelopment period, although the Equinox Apartments predate the village and were built during the Apache Plaza era in the 1970s. A later redevelopment initiative addressed a vacant Walmart property within the complex. In March 2020, The Doran Group began work on The Ruby Apartments after the Walmart building was demolished. The Ruby’s first leases and purchases were reported in October 2022, and the project added 496 residential units or rooms as described in the reference material. Silver Lake Village’s significance is therefore primarily local and urban-development related rather than brand-driven. It represents the conversion of an aging enclosed mall site into a mixed-use district with housing, daily-needs retail, dining, services, and public gathering places. Its evolution also illustrates the broader shift from enclosed regional malls toward more open, neighborhood-oriented developments.
History
Silver Lake Village developed from the redevelopment of Apache Plaza, a historically important shopping center in St. Anthony, Minnesota. Apache Plaza opened in 1961 and was among the earliest enclosed malls in the United States. It was the second enclosed shopping center in Minnesota, following Southdale. Designed by architect Willard Thorsen, Apache was noted for its large central court, whose roof consisted of ten concrete hyperbolic-paraboloid shells shaped like inverted umbrellas. Mondrian-inspired clerestory windows surrounded the court, giving the mall a distinctive architectural character. At its height, Apache Plaza contained more than 60 stores. It also hosted a monthly indoor antiques and collectibles show and had a bowling alley in its basement. The center continued to perform well into the early 1970s, even after the opening of the larger Rosedale shopping center nearby. Over time, however, Apache’s competitive position weakened as anchor stores moved to Rosedale and the newer center drew shoppers away. Apache underwent a substantial renovation in the early 1980s, but its later history was marked by physical damage and continued commercial decline. A tornado struck the southern portion of the mall on April 26, 1984. Three days later, a heavy snowfall followed. Melting snow entered areas damaged by the tornado and caused flooding. The damage was repaired, and Apache reopened on November 15 of that year. Some of the original architectural character was lost when the colorful clerestory windows around the central court were replaced with plain glass. The tenant base deteriorated further during the 1990s. Herberger’s, which opened at Apache in 1987, helped delay the center’s closure, but by 2000 the mall was nearly empty. It remained open in a limited fashion for mall walkers and became a symbol of commercial decline in the Twin Cities area. Demolition was scheduled for April 2004. A final “Bulldozer Bash” was organized to mark the transition to the planned Silver Lake Village development. Although the event was intended to celebrate the future project, many attendees used it to remember Apache Plaza and its role in the community. Silver Lake Village began construction in 2004 as a reported $150 million plan to replace the enclosed mall with a more open, walkable mixed-use district. The new development introduced retail buildings, restaurants, housing, offices, service businesses, landscaped areas, paths, and community-oriented public space. Its design sought to support daily activity across multiple uses instead of relying on a single enclosed shopping building. Residential development became a central component. The village includes conventional apartments, condominiums, and cottage-style homes. Most were built after 2004, while the Equinox Apartments represent housing from the earlier Apache Plaza period. Retail and service uses evolved alongside the residential component. Cub Foods became the principal grocery anchor, while smaller commercial buildings housed food, coffee, gaming, telecommunications, banking, medical, salon, and other service tenants. A later phase addressed the vacant Walmart site. Walmart had closed its Silver Lake Village location after a new Supercenter opened in neighboring Roseville. The former Walmart building was demolished in 2020, and The Doran Group began developing The Ruby Apartments on the property in March of that year. Construction continued into 2022, with the first leases and purchases reported in October. The project added 496 residential units or rooms according to the reference material and reinforced Silver Lake Village’s transition toward a denser, more urban residential mix. Public amenities have also helped distinguish the development from a conventional strip mall. Salo Park runs along the eastern side of the complex and includes walking paths and an amphitheater used for summer concerts. Named after St. Anthony’s Finnish sister city, the park provides an outdoor gathering space within the commercial and residential district. Together, the housing, shops, restaurants, services, and park facilities form a local town-center model built on the site of a once-prominent enclosed mall.
- 2022
The Ruby Apartments begins leasing and sales
[1]The first leases and purchases at The Ruby were reported in October 2022.
- 2022
Steele & Hops opens
[1]The restaurant opened with modern and classic dishes and a heated patio.
- 2020
The Ruby Apartments project begins
[1]The Doran Group began redevelopment of the vacant Walmart property within Silver Lake Village after demolition of the former store building.
- 2004
Construction of Silver Lake Village begins
[1]Apache Plaza was demolished and construction began on the planned mixed-use replacement, reported as a $150 million development.
- 2000
Apache Plaza is nearly empty
[1]After years of competitive pressure and tenant departures, Apache Plaza was nearly vacant and primarily remained open for mall walkers.
- 1984
Apache Plaza suffers tornado and snow-related damage
[1]A tornado damaged the southern part of Apache Plaza on April 26, followed by snowfall and flooding. The mall later reopened after repairs.
- 1961
Apache Plaza opens
[1]The predecessor shopping center opened as one of the earliest enclosed malls in the United States and the second such center in Minnesota.
Products and positioning
A neighborhood-oriented mixed-use redevelopment that combines everyday retail, housing, dining, services, and public amenities on the former Apache Plaza site.
Supermarket
Cub Foods
Cub Foods serves as the principal grocery anchor of Silver Lake Village. Its presence provides everyday food and household shopping within the mixed-use district and helps distinguish the development from a destination-only retail center.
Residential development · 2022
The Ruby Apartments
The Ruby Apartments is a large residential redevelopment of the former Walmart site. Developed by The Doran Group beginning in 2020, the project introduced a more contemporary and urban residential component to Silver Lake Village, with first leases and purchases reported in October 2022.
Public amenity and entertainment venue
Salo Park
Salo Park occupies the eastern edge of Silver Lake Village and includes walking paths and an amphitheater. Named for St. Anthony’s sister city of Salo, Finland, the park hosts summer concerts and provides outdoor gathering space for residents and visitors.
Mixed-use commercial offering · 2004
Retail, dining, and services district
The commercial portion of Silver Lake Village includes smaller retail buildings, restaurants, coffee shops, medical and banking services, salons, telecommunications retail, a gas station, and municipal services. Documented businesses include GameStop, Chipotle, Caribou Coffee, Leeann Chin, Cold Stone Creamery, and the City of St. Anthony liquor store.
Brand decisions
2020
Redevelop the vacant Walmart property for housingStrategyBackground
The Walmart store at Silver Lake Village closed after a larger Supercenter opened in nearby Roseville, leaving the property available for redevelopment.
Action taken
The Doran Group demolished the former Walmart building and began construction of The Ruby Apartments.
Aftermath
The project added a substantial residential use to the complex, with initial leases and purchases reported in October 2022.
2004
Replace an enclosed mall with a walkable mixed-use districtStrategyBackground
Apache Plaza had declined from a major enclosed shopping center to a largely vacant property after anchor relocations, tenant departures, and competition from newer malls.
Action taken
The redevelopment plan replaced Apache Plaza with a combination of housing, retail, dining, services, open space, and an amphitheater-oriented public realm.
Aftermath
Silver Lake Village became a neighborhood-oriented development rather than a single enclosed mall, with residential and service uses integrated into the site.
Reported development plan value. $150 million (2004 plan)
Recent events
- 2022
The Ruby Apartments reaches first leases and purchases[1]
Product launch · Other
The Ruby Apartments began leasing and selling units in October 2022, adding a large residential component to the former Walmart portion of Silver Lake Village.
- 2022
Steele & Hops opens at Silver Lake Village[1]
Product launch
Steele & Hops opened as a restaurant offering modern and classic dishes along with a heated outdoor patio.
- 2020
Walmart property prepared for residential redevelopment[1]
Other
After the Silver Lake Village Walmart location closed and the building was demolished, The Doran Group began work on a residential project named The Ruby Apartments.
- 2004
Silver Lake Village redevelopment begins on the former Apache Plaza site[1]
Other
Construction of Silver Lake Village began after the planned demolition of Apache Plaza, replacing the aging enclosed mall with a mixed-use development incorporating housing, retail, dining, and services.
Sources1 sources
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